POLICE UPSET OVER HIRING

Police are questioning the integrity and fairness of the town's hiring process in the aftermath of an unexpected change that resulted in two women being chosen as officers.

Rather than inviting a large pool of candidates to take the standard written police officer exam, the town recently recruited a small number of candidates -- mostly women -- from area colleges with criminal justice programs.

Personnel Director Dede Moore said 10 people took the written exam, and after a series of other tests and interviews, Christine Morin and Michele Neary were hired.

Traditionally, when the town begins the process of hiring officers, anyone who has come to town hall and filled out an application or left a resume is invited to take the written exam.

"Numerous people, in good faith, put in their applications and were told they would be notified. These people, many who are very qualified, were never contacted," said Gerry Bagley, police union president. "They were never even given the opportunity to try for the job. The town has an obligation to let them know."

One applicant, who declined to give his name for fear it would jeopardize a future hiring opportunity, said he filled out an application nearly eight months ago and was told by Moore he would receive a letter or phone call informing him when the test for new positions is held.

"I'm very upset that I was not even given an opportunity by the town to fulfill my lifelong dream," the man said. "Something as unethical as this ought to be addressed and, hopefully, done away with."

Bagley said because of the change, many officers now believe the town is working toward a quota of women in the police department, veering from accepted and "very successful" hiring practicies to reach that quota.

Town Manager Albert G. Ilg and Moore denied quota allegations and defended the change in the hiring process.

Ilg said previously, it had taken months for the town to hire new officers.

"When we advertise [for new officer positions] we get 700 to 800 candidates. It's very expensive. It takes an enormous amount of time to screen 700 people," Ilg said. "We had four vacancies in the department, vacancies that had been there for a long time. We needed to move ahead quickly."

Moore recruited the pool of candidates from at least two traditionally women's colleges -- Baypath College in Longmeadow, Mass., and St. Joseph College in West Hartford.

She said the town has no agenda for hiring.

"We don't have quotas or anything like that. The two who did very well happened to be female," Moore said.

Police Chief Kevin Searles declined to comment, saying he was not involved with the hiring process until the very end. He referred questions to Moore.

Mayor Francis J. Brady said Ilg "as director of public safety . . . has the ultimate responsibility in hiring of police officers. I would expect him to work in conjunction with the police chief in that function."

Brady declined to comment on whether he thinks the new hiring process was exclusionary.

"I do not have enough information yet. I need to look at all the factors involved," he said.

Bagley said his concern with the new hiring process deals with safety -- both as an officer and as a resident and taxpayer in Windsor.

"We know we cannot dictate to the town how they should hire police. But the town is obligated to hire the best people," he said.

When the town only pulls from a small pool or hand picks who it wants to test, it limits the department's chances of getting the most outstanding candidates, Bagley said.

In the past 15 years, he said, the department acquired a diverse group of top quality people using the old hiring process. Before the two women officers were hired, the department had 49 officers -- 12 female (25 percent), 9 minority males (18 percent) and 28 white males (57 percent).

"The minorities and women in the department see what the town has done as a personal slap in the face to them, because it has made them question why they were hired," Bagley said. "The Windsor Police Department has been a very positive and progressive place and we take pride in that. Now, no matter how qualified the new officers are, a cloud of doubt will be in their minds and others."

Ilg said the candidates who were recruited were all top-notch, but acknowledged that in the future, the town will consider testing recruits with people who have applied previously.

"I am genuinely sorry if someone feels they were overlooked," he said. "We intend to be fair and are fair and we are going to pursue the sources that lead to best candidates."

Ilg added that the town plans to hold a written test session in the fall for those applicants. There are still four positions needing to be filled in the police department.

Council member Don Trinks said if the town sends a message that the process works a certain way, it should adhere to that process.

In this case though, Trinks said, he believes the problem lies more in a lack of communication between the town manager, police department leaders and the rank and file.

"I don't think this is a trend for the town. I'd like to get both sides before casting any judgment," Trinks said.